Treasure Coast Week in Pictures (March 10-16, 2013)

Eavn Davis, 18, of Connecticut, tests his arm at the pitching game set up outside Tradition Field Thursday before the New York Mets' spring training home game against the Detroit Tigers in Port St. Lucie. Davis, who was attending the game with his father and grandparents, threw the baseball 76 miles-per-hour.

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Skip Evans, a Port St. Lucie winter resident from Denver, sets up a Best 9-meter kite along the shoreline of Fort Pierce Beach as about a dozen kite surfers and a windsurfer took to the water off of the Fort Pierce Inlet to enjoy the windy conditions on Wednesday. "It's like water skiing, or wakeboarding but you don't need a boat, you don't need a driver and you're free to go anywhere you want to go," Evans said. "A lot of people that have windsurfed or wakeboarded are now kiteboarding. It's a lot of fun, an adrenaline rush every day."

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DEBORAH SILVER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Rhys Tredor, 3, of Vero Beach walks off after sliding down from the playground structure at Rotary Park in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday. His mom, Ericha Tredor, reconnected with a high school friend and the two came down to visit the family, who lives in Port St. Lucie. Rhys Tredor CQ Ericha Tredor CQ PHOTO TAKEN: TUESDAY 3/5/2013

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Flash, an 8-year-old border collie, springs from Lawrence Frederick's back while chasing a Frisbee Monday during the Disc-Connected K9 Dog Show at the Firefighters' Fair in Vero Beach. Flash is a 2010 Skyhoundz World Disc Dog Champion.

Jim Burchell, of Port St. Lucie, yells after missing a foul ball off a bunt attempt by Andy Dirks, of the Detroit Tigers, that hit him in the hand during the New York Mets' spring training game against the Tigers Thursday afternoon at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie. Burchell had one hand free while holding a beer in the other. "At least he saved the beer though," said his friend, Dick Hammer (left).

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ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Miami Marlins hitting coach Tino Martinez (right) reacts during the 4th inning of their game against the New York Mets on Saturday March 16th, 2013. Tino Martinez, cq PHOTOGRAPHED: SATURDAY MARCH 16, 2013

Bob Toski, left, jokes with PGA Hall of Fame member Errie Ball prior to Toski's induction into the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame Tuesday at the PGA Education Center in Port St. Lucie.

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Martin County Fire Rescue Lt. Joe Duffy, based in Station 33 in Hobe Sound, gets a donation from a driver on Cove Road Friday morning in Stuart while participating in their annual boot drive fundraiser to support Honor Flight. Firefighters will be out at Martin County intersections through the weekend soliciting donations from drivers. Honor Flight is a non-profit organization that sends World War II veterans to Washington DC to visit the World War II memorial. The funds are being raised to pay for Honor Flight trips on April 27 and May 25.

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Saint Andrew's Episcopal Academy students Nick Noelke (left) and Gunther Schwartz position a wheel in to a car made from approximately 2,000 cans of corn donated from Winn Dixie outside the front entrance of Sunrise Ford in Fort Pierce. A team of four 7th grade students and parents constructed the canned food car in an effort to win a contest sponsored by USA Today to find a way to bring awareness of hunger in the community.

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Former Martin County Commissioner Maggy Hurchalla kayaks in the Intracoastal Waterway behind her home on Wednesday.

DEBORAH SILVER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS An adult Great Horned owl (top) looks down at its baby owls that are now fledgling in their nest on the property of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge on Monday. According to Debbie Fritz-Quincy, director of the Hobe Sound Nature Center, the young owls are atleast eight weeks old. "They start roaming in the nest around six-to-seven weeks old and start to fly around at 10 to 12 weeks," sad Fritz-Quincy. The nest, that is said to be about two feet deep, was occupied last year by ospreys. These owls, nicknamed "the tiger with wings," rarely construct their own nests, said Richard Brust, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Dept. of the Interior Fish & Wildlife Service. "Their presence is a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem and we are delighted to have them nesting on the Refuge," said Brust.

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DEBORAH SILVER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Artist Pamela Hoke of Stuart paints a portrait of One Feather, a Great Horned Owl, in front of about a dozen area high shool students during the acrylic section of the second annual Arts Council Plein Air Art Day at the Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Stuart on Wednesday. Scores of area high school art students were matched with five artists in oil painting, pastels, sketching, watercolor and photography. "Nature is their muse," said Hoke, who asked Tim Brown, Treasure Coast Wildlife Center's director of education to bring a few birds, who are residents at the center, to inspire the young artists. "Nature clears all of the mental clutter. The outdoors lets their right brain get engaged," said Hoke.

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ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Beto Rodriguez (front), of Atlantic Interior Services Inc. of Tequesta, repositions his lift while assembling the aluminum framework for the ceiling and walls in the lobby of the The Humane Society of St. Lucie County's new Port St. Lucie Kindness Center in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday. The new shelter is on track for completion in September. Beto Rodriguez, cq Atlantic Interior Services Inc. , of Tequesta cq PHOTOGRAPHED: Tuesday MARCH 12, 2013

Matt Pope (right), of Martin County High School finished with a time of 15:08 in the first heat of the boys 110 hurdles during the FHSAA Cobra Relays hosted by Fort Pierce Central High School at Lawnwood Stadium on Saturday. The Martin County team finished second overall in the event.

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Bob Toski conducts an interview with media prior to the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Tuesday at the PGA Education Center in Port St. Lucie. The 2013 class of inductees includes Toski, James "Jimmie" DeVoe, Michael Hebron, William "Bill" Ogden, William "Bill" Powell, Jim Mrva, Chip Essig and Allen Wronowski.

Bob Toski (right) laughs with Master of Ceremonies Jimmy Roberts Tuesday at the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Port St. Lucie.

DEBORAH SILVER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Jensen Beach High School sophomore Becca Aquilante (second from left), 16, jokes around with motivational speaker and actor Chris Hollyfield (right), as junior Aliya Birnbaum (left), 16, senior Katelyn Foley 17, and junior Michael Rybak, 16, look on at the end of "Walk the Line for Respect," a free, two-hour program that focussed on preventing bullying Sunday afternoon at StarStruck Performing Arts Center in Stuart. The high school students, who shared their stories, are part of the school's peer mentoring program. In addition, the StarStruck's advanced acting class performed a skit about bullying and Hollyfield shared his story of inspiration. The event targeted tweens, teens, parents and teachers. "The goal is to develop tolerance, respect and empathy and to inspire kids to be good to each other," said Darcy Flierl, director of prevention at Tykes and Teens. Chris Hollyfield CQ Aliya Birnbaum CQ Becca Aquilante CQ Katelyn Foley CQ Michael Rybak CQ Darcy Flierl CQ PHOTO TAKEN: SUNDAY 3/10/2013

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Gifford residents Harold Wright (right) and Valencia Thomas share some laughs together while enjoying a free lunch from Our Father's Table Soup Kitchen at the Mt. Zion AME Church, 1221 28th Avenue in Gifford on Wednesday. "The people and the food, it's great," Wright said. The soup kitchen, which serves a free lunch Monday through Friday, is celebrating 25 years of serving the community this Saturday. "We love to do all this, we enjoy it," said Lydia Forbes President of Our Father's Table Soup Kitchen. We feel we are blessed and we want to give back to the community."

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Janice Paruolo (right) and Phyllis Malroy, both of Vero Beach, volunteer their time working the kitchen for Our Father's Table Soup Kitchen inside the Mt. Zion AME Church at 4221 28th Avenue in Gifford on Thursday. "I enjoy helping others, I get very rewarded and like to feed the hungry people in our local town," Paruolo said. The soup kitchen is celebrating their 25th year serving a free lunch to the area's needy Monday through Friday. "I do it for God and my brothers and sisters in Christ," Malroy said.

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ERIC HASERT/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Saint Andrew's Episcopal Academy 7th grade teacher Deborah Ford (from left) records a video on a tablet computer of her students Nick Noelke, Gunther Schwartz, Bryn Vrana and Cole Orsini in front of a car they built in front of the entrance of Sunrise Ford with the help of their parents and teacher to win a contest sponsored by USA Today to find a way to bring awareness of hunger in the community. Modeled after a Ford Mustang the car was made from approximately 2,000 cans of corn donated by Winn Dixie to bring awareness to hunger in the community, with all proceeds including the collected canned foods benefitting the hunger relief group Sarah's Kitchen, of Fort Pierce. Deborah Ford cq Cole Orsini, cq Gunther Schwartz, cq Bryn Vrana, cq Nick Noelke, cq Saint Andrew's Academy, cq PHOTOGRAPHED: Wednesday MARCH 13, 2013

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DEBORAH SILVER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Donald Adamson, equipment operator with the Martin County Parks and Recreation Department, replaces boards that have detiorated on the pier at Indian RiverSide Park in Jensen Beach on Thursday. "Eventually, (all of the boards on) the whole pier will be replaced," said Matt Bucsko, parks service specialist. Donald Adamson CQ Matt Bucsko CQ PHOTO TAKEN: THURSDAY 3/14/2013

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Michael Hebron, right, talks with Master of Ceremonies and NBC Sports Interviewer Jimmy Roberts during the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Tuesday in Port St. Lucie.

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NBC Sports Interviewer Jimmy Roberts serves as the Master of Ceremonies during the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Tuesday in Port St. Lucie.

DEBORAH SILVER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS Ashley Youngblood (left), a volunteer with the YMCA of the Treasure Coast, points out where the YMCA Easter House would be built as Marilyn Akers and Rosemary Jez, friends from Port St. Lucie, stop by the model home of the house to buy tickets to win the Easter House in Palm City on Thursday. To learn more about the house and purchase tickets, go to www.ymcaeasterhouse.org.

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DEBORAH SILVER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS The exterior of the YMCA Easter House model in Palm City.